Finance is reviewing posts and infrastructure for new courts; the law dept has sought 53 judicial officers after consulting the Delhi High Court.
In an effort to speed up the trial and resolution of cases involving crimes against women and children, CM Rekha Gupta revealed on Tuesday that the Delhi government has approved a plan to create 53 new fast-track special courts.
There are currently 16 such courts operating ad hoc in the Capital. According to officials, there will now be 53 dedicated fast-track courts after they are transformed into permanent courts.
Our goal is to prevent victims from having to wait years to obtain justice. This action will support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a safe India and women’s empowerment in addition to ensuring prompt justice. Women in Delhi can now proceed with more assurance and a more robust sense of security thanks to this ruling. “This is a long-term initiative to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of the justice delivery system, not just about increasing the number of courts,” CM Gupta stated after giving the finance and law departments instructions to start the process right away.
According to officials with knowledge of the situation, there are presently over 17,000 pending cases in various courts throughout the city pertaining to crimes against women and children. “Victims and their families have been waiting for years due to the slow pace of hearings,” they noted.
The choice comes after discussions at a recent high-level meeting of the task force on women’s safety, which was presided over by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. One of the officials mentioned above stated that the LG had urged the administration to establish more courts and emphasized the need to address the increasing backlog.
The Delhi chief minister said in a statement that the law department then conferred with the Delhi High Court, which suggested establishing 37 more fast-track tribunals and turning 16 current ad hoc courts into permanent ones. The number increased to 53 once the administration approved these suggestions.
The CM went on to say that the new courts will have enough support staff, judicial officers, and infrastructure thanks to her government. According to an official, the finance department has already received a request from the law department for the recruitment of 53 judicial officers.
These courts will mostly hear cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and rape cases filed under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, according to Gupta. “Time-bound justice in these cases will not only help survivors but also send a powerful deterrent message to society.”